The Wairarapa earthquake
- When
- 23 January 1855
- Where
- Wairarapa
- Reach
- Several regions
At an estimated magnitude 8.2, the largest earthquake in recorded New Zealand history lifted parts of Wellington by more than a metre.
The uplift created the flat land along the harbour that Wellington’s road and rail corridor still uses, and drained swamp that became the Basin Reserve. Only a handful of people died, because the settler population was small and mostly living in timber buildings. The quake ruptured the Wairarapa Fault over about 140 kilometres and remains the benchmark event for the region’s seismic hazard.
Regions affected
Sources
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Related
Te Rauparaha’s migration to Kapiti
Ngāti Toa left Kāwhia and fought their way south, seizing Kapiti Island as a base that controlled Cook Strait and the trade passing through it.
Kapiti IslandHutt Valley and Whanganui campaigns
Fighting over disputed Company purchases spread through the Hutt and up to Whanganui. Governor Grey seized Te Rauparaha from his bed without charge.
Hutt ValleyVogel’s public works and immigration scheme
Julius Vogel borrowed £10 million in London to build railways, roads and telegraph lines, and to bring 100,000 assisted migrants.
The provinces are abolished
Nine provincial governments were swept away and replaced by central government plus counties and boroughs — the shape of local government for the next century.